Exothermic welding: Process and principles of operation explained

Exothermic welding How does it work?

Exothermic or aluminothermic welding is the result of molecular bonding between the materials to be welded. This process occurs through a chemical reaction that gives the fusion between both materials, usually they are metals since this type of welding improves the electrical properties.

In this blog we are going to talk a little about exothermic welding, first we are going to know what exothermic welding is, then we are going to know what it is for and finally, how does it work? Join us to learn more about exothermic or aluminothermic welding.

What is exothermic welding?

Exothermic welding (Exothermic reaction: an exothermic reaction is any chemical reaction that releases energy, it can be light or heat. In this case, it releases heat) is a method of joining metals.

In a more detailed explanation, it is a welding process that occurs molecularly in metals whose properties such as mechanical, electrical or relative to corrosion are highlighted and improved.

This type of welding occurs due to the alumino-thermal reaction generated by high temperatures in the crucible (It is a cavity in the furnaces that receives the molten metal. Wikipedia) of the mold to make the metal melt completely and as a result obtain the molecular bonding of the materials, which takes only a few seconds to complete.

Some of the characteristics of this welding are:

Some of the characteristics of this welding are:

1) It has a conductivity higher than that of the conductors themselves.

2) It does not corrode, rust or degrade over time, its durability is exceptional.

3) It can withstand electric shock repeatedly, it is a solder used to build lightning rod systems.

4) It does not increase its resistance over time.

5) It has a higher resistance than conductors.

6) It is a permanent weld and its connection is low resistance to achieve a long-lasting result.

What is exothermic welding used for?

 This type of welding is ideal for joining underground systems such as cable-to-cable or rod, rod-to-cable, or rod-to-rod wiring. This welding is ideal for these processes since the molecular bond that occurs is what strong enough so that the work looks good and there is no risk. In addition, this type of welding has the advantage that it is very easy to transport.

This welding is used to perform tasks in the construction of railway transport systems, industrial installations, construction of a lightning protection system, among other things.

Exothermic welding How does it work?

To carry out the welding process with an exothermic welding, you must have the materials prepared to carry out the process, which are:

1) A pliers

2) A sparkler

3) Cables or the material to be soldered.

4) Welding of your preference

5) Another clamp

6) Soldering powder and gunpowder

7) Mold where the process will be carried out.

When you have the materials ready, we are going to adjust the mold to the first pliers. When it is ready, we must clean the mold so that it does not have residues of any kind that could affect the weld.

The third step is to place the cables according to the caliber on one side of the mold, after having the cables inside the mold is preheated to be able to place the disc, the welding powder, the gunpowder in the mold, later when all the materials are in the mold is used to ignite the spark plug and finally the piece is removed from the welded mold.

When the weld is heated in the mold with the spark gap, it is when the chemical reaction takes place that allows both materials to join molecularly.

This process may be a bit complex to explain everything through words, for this reason, here is a video explaining the step by step so that you can do it too.

Exothermic welding is one of the most used for jobs in industries that handle heavy materials due to its simple way of being transported and its effectiveness in welding metals without losing their conductive capacity.

If you want to know more about welding, I invite you to read our blogs: MIG welding either MIG vs MAG welding differences.

In Perez Precision Works we offer the service of weldingIf you want to know more about him, you can contact us through the following button.